Overview

Welcome to the Grace College major in general business. This major allows for the integrative study of the disciplines necessary for understanding and managing organizations. A biblical understanding of business permeates this major. Occasionally, a specific post-college opportunity cannot be adequately prepared for within the bounds of a single business discipline. The major in general business allows students to craft a program that is specific to their needs and career aspirations.

The curriculum builds a foundational understanding with coursework that transitions to an interdisciplinary approach. The curriculum culminates with internships, simulations and other applied learning opportunities, which smooth the transition from the classroom to the workplace. A biblical understanding of business helps students understand that economic growth and prosperity are maximized when economic activity is organized through a decentralized, market-based approach. Given this, a proper appreciation of the net benefits of the free enterprise system is foundational to this major.

Courses

Examples of courses in this major:

BUS 2230 Economics

The role of Christians in the marketplace is discussed with consideration of economic reasoning and methodology through examination of fundamental concepts in micro- and macro-economics and through extension and applications of economic theory.

BUS 2430 Principles of Management

Surveys the four major managerial functions: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Within a biblical framework, students will examine developments from scientific management to ethics, diversity, social responsibility and globalization.

BUS 3400 Organizational Behavior

This course deals with human behavior in organizations. Conceptual frameworks, case discussions and skill-oriented activities are applied to course topics that include motivation, learning and development, group dynamics, leadership, communication, power and influence, change, diversity, organizational design and culture.

FIN 3240 Corporate Finance

The study of such topics as capital budgeting, cost of funds, stock and bond valuations, and capital structure. A theoretical as well as a practical approach to the discipline.

MKT 2150 Marketing Principles

This course provides a decision-oriented overview of marketing management in modern organizations. The objective of the course is to provide a broad introduction to marketing concepts, the role of marketing in society and in the firm, and the various factors that influence marketing decision making.

Faculty

The individuals who will challenge you to learn:

Roger B. Bingham, B.S., M.B.A., D.M.

Associate Professor of Management

Education History

B.S. in Business Administration , University of Dayton; M.B.A., University of Dayton; D.M., University of Maryland

About

Roger Bingham comes to Grace College with more than 16 years in higher education. Prior to his current position, he served in leadership roles in the Ivy Tech Community College system covering Student Affairs, finance and facilities. Bingham has also worked for private industry and the federal government. His family includes his wife and three teenage children.

Erica R. Elliott, B.S., M.B.A.

Instructor of Marketing

Education History

B.S. in Marketing, University of Central Oklahoma; M.B.A. in Marketing, Oklahoma City University

About

Erica Elliott is a new addition to our School of Business faculty and brings with her nearly 20 years of advertising and marketing experience working for non-profits to Fortune 500 companies such as AT&T, HP and Pizza Hut (YUM! Brands). Her breadth and depth of industry knowledge comes from being employed in multiple roles from client services, product management and to her latest position as VP of Marketing for a global manufacturer of sports equipment. Ms. Elliott has previously taught marketing courses at Eastern New Mexico University and Oklahoma State University. She lives in Silver Lake with her three dogs.

Richard Koontz, B.S., M.B.A., D.B.A.

Associate Professor of Information Systems

Education History

About

Prior to coming to Grace in 1998, Rick Koontz spent nine years as manager of information systems for Scholastic Book Fairs in Lake Mary, Florida. In addition to his teaching, Dr. Koontz is the Chair for the Business Department here at Grace College and the academic director of the Management of Information Systems program.

Roger L. Stichter, B.A., M.B.A., D.B.A., CPA

Professor of Accounting

Education History

About

Having worked in public accounting (staff accountant), healthcare accounting (corporate controller) and nonprofit accounting (chief financial officer), Roger Stichter has a broad accounting background at various levels of responsibility. He has taught at Grace College for over 14 years. He enjoys spending time with his wife and seven children, bicycling (he has biked from San Diego to Savannah, Georgia and recently took a 750-mile trip around Michigan), fishing and spending time researching the lifestyle of generosity. He recently completed his D.B.A. in accounting at Anderson University (Anderson, Indiana).

Jeffery K. Fawcett, B.A., M.B.A., D.B.A.

Dean, School of Business; Professor of Marketing

Education History

B.A. in Business Administration, Cedarville University; M.B.A., University of Baltimore; D.B.A., Cleveland State University

About

Jeffery Fawcett serves as dean of the School of Business and professor of marketing. He came to Grace College in 2011, bringing 24 years of experience in Christian higher education. Prior to beginning his teaching career, he worked as a consultant in Washington, D.C. on contracts with the Naval Sea Systems Command and the Federal Aviation Administration. Fawcett is active in the Christian Business Faculty Association.

Alan E. Grossnickle, B.A., M.P.A., M.B.A., D.B.A.

Associate Professor of Business; Director of the William P. Gordon Institute of Enterprise Development

Education History

B.A. in Political Science and History, Parsons College; M.P.A. in Public Administration, Ball State University; M.B.A. in Finance, University of Saint Francis; D.B.A. in Marketing, Northcentral University

About

Prior to coming to Grace in 2011, Alan Grossnickle spent five years at the University of Saint Francis, where he developed the Entrepreneurship program and taught business courses. He has extensive experience as the former CEO/president and founder of Caremet, Inc. dba Miller's Merry Manor healthcare facilities, which was the largest independent healthcare organization in Indiana. He lives in Warsaw with his wife and has two sons and three grandchildren.

Kenneth McEwan, B.B.A., M.B.A.

Assistant Professor of Finance

Education History

Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), University of Kentucky; M.B.A., University of Cincinnati; Advanced Diploma in Management Accounting from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

About

Kenneth McEwan joins the Grace faculty as full-time instructor of finance in the School of Business. He previously worked at Rolls-Royce Aircraft Engines. His last position there was director of Finance Business Partnering. Prior to this role, he was vice president of finance for the Helicopter Engines business and finance director for Engineering and Technology. McEwan also held finance positions at GM Military Vehicles Operation, GM Allison Transmission and at the University of Cincinnati as a teaching assistant. He has served as president of the Board of NICA ministries, when he supervised two missionaries in Nicaragua; as treasurer of the Woodruff Place Foundation; and was on the board of trustees at New Hope Christian Church. He enjoys golf, kayaking, hiking and cross-country skiing. Kenneth and his wife, Robin, live in Winona Lake.

Careers

Some of the positions you can obtain:

Financial Planner

Financial planners help individuals and groups plan the use of their savings, income and investments. Some are self-employed consultants who offer workshops that teach people how to analyze their own financial situations. Other financial planners operate financial planning businesses or are employed by insurance companies and financial institutions—savings and loan companies, investment services companies and banks—to sell their company's financial products. Such products might include family budgeting schemes, mutual funds, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), insurance, real estate or tax-sheltered investment plans. Financial planners help individuals examine their immediate and long-term financial situations. The job of the financial planner is to help each investor decide what kinds of investments are best. They advise people on what types of investments to put their money in as well as the timing of major expenditures such as buying a house or starting retirement.

General Manager

A general manager directs and coordinates the operations of a small business or a department in a company. Medium-sized and large companies are divided into production, sales, promotion, purchasing and other departments, and a general manager is typically in charge of each of these divisions. In a small company, the general manager may be responsible for all operations. General managers usually report to the chief operating officer or to a vice president. They may report to the chief executive officer.

Sales Representative

A sales representative can have many duties and responsibilities depending on the industry they are working in. To be a successful sales representative, you have to be energetic, friendly and enthusiastic, and you must have a positive attitude.

Administrative Executive

Using exceptional organizational and multi-tasking skills, administrative executives generally provide full support for leaders or sales members within an organization. Such duties typically include: calendar management, expenses and travel arrangement, presentations, organizing team meetings, monitoring timesheets, ordering supplies and processing HR requests.

Small Business Owner

Entrepreneurship is a focus on the principles and applications of starting and managing a small business. The business curriculum prepares graduates well to begin their own businesses. The broad overview of courses in the curriculum, combined with professors who have run their own businesses, provides an excellent background for students who wish to start and/or manage a business.

Testimonials

What others are saying:

Grace College's School of Business flat out prepared me for the next stage of my life. The professors always set aside time to talk with me about choosing an appropriate major that fit me and to encourage me academically and spiritually. Professors openly shared in class how God was directing in their lives, and they wanted to encourage us to follow Him whole-heartedly. I even got a chance to take a summer internship in China through the business program! Because of the quality teachers, relevant classes and wonderful classmates, I feel ready and confident for whatever God has in store for me!- Caleb Roth, B.S., Business Administration/General Business, 2010

As a Finance Executive with one of the local orthopedic companies where Grace is based, I've found the School of Business at Grace College to be unique in many ways. First and foremost, I find the passion for education and commitment to personal relationships that the faculty have with their students to be second to none that I've encountered in my many years of recruiting across college campuses. Second, the biblical integration into the curriculum by the faculty and members of the administration of the college is highly identifiable by the integrity and moral convictions exhibited by the students. Finally, the internship and eventual job opportunities available to the students in the School of Business include some of the best companies in the world as it relates to the area of accounting, finance and business.- Bob Vitoux, former vice president of finance, Biomet Orthopedics, Warsaw, Indiana

I have been impressed with the level of commitment and enthusiasm of the School of Business faculty to the Grace College business students. It is refreshing to know that they are not only equipping our future business leaders with the knowledge and tools they need, but also instilling in them a value system based on biblical principles. We greatly need outstanding business leaders who reflect the values of the men and women of the Grace College School of Business, especially now in this current economic environment.- Joan Darr, COO/CNO, Kosciusko Community Hospital, B.S. Nursing, 1967